Bittersweet day for hat-trick hero Foster as Scarva lose

It was a bittersweet day for Scarva’s Kyle Foster on Saturday, when he scored a stunning hat-trick but ended up on the losing side.

In truth the hosts can have few grumbles about the outcome. They gave their all but it wasn’t enough against an athletic Glenavy side, whose play was easy on the eye.

The visitors broke the deadlock midway through the first half, the goal-scorer skipping past Wilson in the Scarva goals and deftly steering the ball into the corner of the Rangers net.

The home side’s equaliser owed much to the determination of Alex Hammond, who battled resolutely to retain possession inside the Glenavy box and when the ball squirmed loose it fell at the feet of Foster who unerringly curled a delightful finish just inside the post.

The visitors appealed in vain for a penalty but minutes later another appeal was successful, much to Rangers’ dismay, and Wilson had no chance of saving the coolly dispatched spot kick.

Scarva’s afternoon went from bad to infinitely worse in the opening stages of the second half when they conceded twice to trail 4-1.

The defining characteristic of the home side’s play after the break was a refusal to roll over and accept defeat, however. Andrew Boyce controlled the ball beautifully and sent in a stinging shot that the visiting keeper repelled but once again Foster reacted instantly with another fantastic finish.

Two minutes later Glenavy counter attacked to devastating effect and made it 5-2. It could easily have been the signal for the hosts to buckle but their attitude remained beyond reproach and Foster had the last word when he outfoxed the keeper with a shot that curled in at his near post.

Best for Scarva – Kyle Foster.

Dawson Jones also had a fine game in midfield, working tirelessly and spraying the ball about to superb effect.